UNHCR has not yet Signed the Annual Agreement and Threatens to pull out its
Operations in Bangladesh

Chittagong, May
22, 2005: The (UNHCR) has not yet signed the annual agreement with the disaster
management ministry of Bangladesh for the current year and threatens to pull
out its operation in Bangladesh after a series of reported violations of human
rights in two refugee camps for Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar, reports BDNEWS of Dhaka.

The repatriation of 20,000 Rohingya refugees, sheltered in the Nayapara
and Kutupalang camps, will face uncertainty, if the
disagreement over the human rights issues between the government and the UNHCR
is not resolved, fear officials working in Dhaka in the
UN agency, disaster management ministry and the Rohingya
Repartition Commission.

“We have already discussed the
issue with the UNHCR,” said Shamim Ahmed, chief of
the ministry’s Rohingya refugee cell. He admitted
that the annual agreement with the UN agency was yet to be signed.

“We have sent a proposal over
the annual agreement to the UNHCR. After the agency’s approval, it will need
endorsement of the government on some required matters”, he further said. He,
however, hoped that the repartition of the Rohingya
refugees would start soon after both the parties reached a consensus.

The deputy representative of
UNHCR in Dhaka, MulusewMamo, expressed his
dissatisfaction over human rights situation in the two refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar. He said the human rights situation in the camps was
really bad.

‘The refugees in the camps
have no freedom of movement... Virtually they are passing a captive life,” he
said.

“We informed the Bangladesh
government on the issue several times and hope that they will give more
attention to the matter”, he further said. ##